Thursday, June 07, 2007
Alchemist's Choice for 06-7-2007
There's so much going on each day that it just isn't possible to write in-depth articles on every new development. The new Alchemist's Choice column will serve to fill that gap by giving a quick overview of interesting things we noticed that didn't make it to full-fledged articles. So here we go:
SpaceTime
Software to let you browse the web in 3D. Arranges windows and searches in a 3D space that you can navigate. Very CPU intensive so watch out.
http://www.spacetime.com/home.php
PostReach ClickComments
Eight colorful icons that let users leave one-click comments on your blog. Works on new Blogger, WordPress, and TypePad. One downside is that every icon is positive so no constructive criticism can be offered.
http://postreach.com/static/clickcomments
Vator.tv
A YouTube-like video sharing site for startups and entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas and products.
http://www.vator.tv/
The Actual Monetary Value of Internet Video Fame: A Case Study
A useful, if shallow, look at how web analytics can tell you whether something is working or not.
http://www.larryweaver.com/blog/2007/06/actual...
SpaceTime
Software to let you browse the web in 3D. Arranges windows and searches in a 3D space that you can navigate. Very CPU intensive so watch out.
http://www.spacetime.com/home.php
PostReach ClickComments
Eight colorful icons that let users leave one-click comments on your blog. Works on new Blogger, WordPress, and TypePad. One downside is that every icon is positive so no constructive criticism can be offered.
http://postreach.com/static/clickcomments
Vator.tv
A YouTube-like video sharing site for startups and entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas and products.
http://www.vator.tv/
The Actual Monetary Value of Internet Video Fame: A Case Study
A useful, if shallow, look at how web analytics can tell you whether something is working or not.
http://www.larryweaver.com/blog/2007/06/actual...
Labels: Technology
Baidu: The Ideal Search Engine for Movie Pirates
Why is Google not the number one search engine in China? In part, because the leading search engine, Baidu, makes it easy to search for MP3s and movies online. That lax attitude toward copyright makes it a spectacular resource for users who are looking for free movies to watch online.
For instance, doing a search for Spider-Man 3 on Google Video brings up trailers and other promotional videos, but doing a search on Baidu Video brings up full-length copies of the movie itself.
If you can't read Chinese, you can recognize which links lead to actual copies of movie by the slight squashing of the video thumbnail and subtle color saturation anomalies. That, and the alphabetical sorting of the videos.
Interestingly, the site that is hosting these particular videos, KU6.com, is a leading contender in the Web 2.0 space in China and has signed advertising deals with McDonald's, Nike, and Disney. It's backed by VC Draper Fisher Jurvetson and just goes to show how a little piracy can go a long way.
Baidu is looking to expand operations to Europe in the near future so this issue may get wider play soon.
For instance, doing a search for Spider-Man 3 on Google Video brings up trailers and other promotional videos, but doing a search on Baidu Video brings up full-length copies of the movie itself.
If you can't read Chinese, you can recognize which links lead to actual copies of movie by the slight squashing of the video thumbnail and subtle color saturation anomalies. That, and the alphabetical sorting of the videos.
Interestingly, the site that is hosting these particular videos, KU6.com, is a leading contender in the Web 2.0 space in China and has signed advertising deals with McDonald's, Nike, and Disney. It's backed by VC Draper Fisher Jurvetson and just goes to show how a little piracy can go a long way.
Baidu is looking to expand operations to Europe in the near future so this issue may get wider play soon.
Labels: Technology
Get Free Tech Support at FixYa
If you've ever needed technical assistance, you know that calling tech support is a notoriously trying process, and even services like Best Buy's Geek Squad that make house calls have been known to cause trouble.
A better solution might be FixYa, which is like a more technically minded Yahoo Answers. You can ask the community questions about gadgets, electronics, and other consumer products and get back quick answers. If you'd rather search for an existing solution, you can either enter a search query or browse for a product by manufacturer.
These self-described experts are rated using an eBay-like system of feedback from other users so you can tell how trustworthy their advice is. For instance, each expert's profile tells you their success rate at answering questions with rating categories like Solved!, Almost There, and Not Helpful.
If you don't mind waiting, you can always ask a question for free, but there is a paid tier of service that guarantees answers from a top expert.
Overall, FixYa fills a pressing need by providing users with a specialized community focused on helping other users solve their technical difficulties.
A better solution might be FixYa, which is like a more technically minded Yahoo Answers. You can ask the community questions about gadgets, electronics, and other consumer products and get back quick answers. If you'd rather search for an existing solution, you can either enter a search query or browse for a product by manufacturer.
These self-described experts are rated using an eBay-like system of feedback from other users so you can tell how trustworthy their advice is. For instance, each expert's profile tells you their success rate at answering questions with rating categories like Solved!, Almost There, and Not Helpful.
If you don't mind waiting, you can always ask a question for free, but there is a paid tier of service that guarantees answers from a top expert.
Overall, FixYa fills a pressing need by providing users with a specialized community focused on helping other users solve their technical difficulties.
Labels: Technology
Find Interesting and Unusual Sights in Google Street View
After Google released Street View for Google Maps, bloggers everywhere started trolling for candid shots of interesting, unusual, or funny sights that were unwittingly recorded for posterity. Like this apparent robbery in progress:
Several roundup posts have collected together some of the best locations, but otherwise, it's a little like looking for a needle in a haystack to find an actually interesting scene in Google Maps. This is where Streetviewr comes in.
Streetviewr lets anyone post a link and a description of a location in Google Maps where something noteworthy was photographed. Right now, you'll have to depend on the captions to decide whether a submission is worth a look since preview images aren't available, but that's about the only downside. It's a sweet and simple site that only seeks to do one thing really well.
Several roundup posts have collected together some of the best locations, but otherwise, it's a little like looking for a needle in a haystack to find an actually interesting scene in Google Maps. This is where Streetviewr comes in.
Streetviewr lets anyone post a link and a description of a location in Google Maps where something noteworthy was photographed. Right now, you'll have to depend on the captions to decide whether a submission is worth a look since preview images aren't available, but that's about the only downside. It's a sweet and simple site that only seeks to do one thing really well.
Labels: Technology
Akamai Gives Insight into Net Traffic Patterns
A few years back, media delivery company Akamai was on the verge of dying, but nowadays with the massive surge in Net traffic from video sharing and other social media sites, it's handily delivering 15 to 20 percent of the world's traffic.
This gives it great insight into what's happening online from music listening habits to peak shopping times.
Akamai has released these data in the form of net usage indices for topics like news, music, and retail along with a real-time monitor of web traffic.
Using the charts, you can see that peak shopping hours in North America are around 5 and 10 p.m., and that peak interest in the news often coincides with major sports-related events. You can also see that California accounts for about 7% of global network traffic at the moment, which isn't too surprising with Silicon Valley located there.
One thing to keep in mind is that these numbers fluctuate every day so they're best used as rough estimates and not hard facts.
[via]
This gives it great insight into what's happening online from music listening habits to peak shopping times.
Akamai has released these data in the form of net usage indices for topics like news, music, and retail along with a real-time monitor of web traffic.
Using the charts, you can see that peak shopping hours in North America are around 5 and 10 p.m., and that peak interest in the news often coincides with major sports-related events. You can also see that California accounts for about 7% of global network traffic at the moment, which isn't too surprising with Silicon Valley located there.
One thing to keep in mind is that these numbers fluctuate every day so they're best used as rough estimates and not hard facts.
[via]
Labels: Technology
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Looking for a Guest Blogger? List Your Blog in a Directory
Guest blogging is a commonplace way to get more exposure for the guest blogger and solve the content creation puzzle for the host blogger. In addition, many bloggers have guests fill in for them when they go on vacation or are otherwise occupied.
For the host blog, the problem is finding guest bloggers. The reverse is also true for prospective guest bloggers.
Enter the Guest Blogger directory, which facilitates matches between blogs and guest bloggers. If you're looking for a guest blogger, just enter your contact details, and your offer will be listed.
If you're looking for a blog to write for, search for a blog that fits into your niche, and when you find one, click the contact link to offer your services.
We are looking for reviews of interesting and useful websites or software as well as tutorials and how-to guides. In exchange for exclusive rights to your article, you'll get exposure to our large audience as well as a linkback to your blog.
For the host blog, the problem is finding guest bloggers. The reverse is also true for prospective guest bloggers.
Enter the Guest Blogger directory, which facilitates matches between blogs and guest bloggers. If you're looking for a guest blogger, just enter your contact details, and your offer will be listed.
If you're looking for a blog to write for, search for a blog that fits into your niche, and when you find one, click the contact link to offer your services.
We are looking for reviews of interesting and useful websites or software as well as tutorials and how-to guides. In exchange for exclusive rights to your article, you'll get exposure to our large audience as well as a linkback to your blog.
Labels: Technology
Create and Publish Your Own Podcasts with WildVoice Studio
WildVoice is a site where you can upload and share your podcasts. It's basically a hosted podcasting platform analogous to Blogger.com for blogs.
To make it easy for users to create and edit podcasts, they have released a free application called WildVoice Studio that you can use to record and publish your own podcasts. By default, it publishes to WildVoice, but you can manually upload your podcast MP3 anywhere you like after you create it.
WildVoice Studio has a nice colorful interface that reduces the intimidation factor when you first start using a program. The controls are intuitive, and there's also a useful sound FX library that you can use to add some spice to your podcasts.
For an open-source solution, you might look at Audacity, but strictly speaking, it isn't ideally suited for podcast creation.
Download WildVoice Studio
To make it easy for users to create and edit podcasts, they have released a free application called WildVoice Studio that you can use to record and publish your own podcasts. By default, it publishes to WildVoice, but you can manually upload your podcast MP3 anywhere you like after you create it.
WildVoice Studio has a nice colorful interface that reduces the intimidation factor when you first start using a program. The controls are intuitive, and there's also a useful sound FX library that you can use to add some spice to your podcasts.
For an open-source solution, you might look at Audacity, but strictly speaking, it isn't ideally suited for podcast creation.
Download WildVoice Studio
Labels: Technology
Netscape Navigator 9 Released
Netscape Navigator did not go quietly into the night. Instead, it's been reborn with version 9 as an extension of the Netscape social news site.
The new browser is tightly integrated with Netscape.com services, letting you easily submit stories and track what your friends are voting for. Essentially, it's like a specialized version of Flock, the social media browser that integrates publishing photos, blogging, and social bookmarking, but it only works for Netscape.
Two new features are notable: URL correction and Link Pad.
URL correction corrects any misspelled words or missing punctuation that you type into the address bar. That means you won't have to worry about the .CM scam. The Link Pad is a handy feature that lets you drag-and-drop links into the sidebar for later study.
Unless you're an active Netscape.com user, the new Navigator won't bring anything significant to the table, but if you are, Navigator is ideally suited to your needs.
Download Netscape Navigator 9
The new browser is tightly integrated with Netscape.com services, letting you easily submit stories and track what your friends are voting for. Essentially, it's like a specialized version of Flock, the social media browser that integrates publishing photos, blogging, and social bookmarking, but it only works for Netscape.
Two new features are notable: URL correction and Link Pad.
URL correction corrects any misspelled words or missing punctuation that you type into the address bar. That means you won't have to worry about the .CM scam. The Link Pad is a handy feature that lets you drag-and-drop links into the sidebar for later study.
Unless you're an active Netscape.com user, the new Navigator won't bring anything significant to the table, but if you are, Navigator is ideally suited to your needs.
Download Netscape Navigator 9
Labels: Technology
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Find Your Celebrity Look-Alike with MyHeritage
When you think advanced face recognition technology, you don't usually associate it with an online genealogy site. But MyHeritage is taking advantage of face recognition in a unique way to simplify the labeling of photos that you upload into online photo albums. The idea is to automatically tag photos with the names of your relatives.
Another use they're putting this technology to is a celebrity look-alike finder. Like AOL's recently launched Find My Celebrity Look-Alike site, MyHeritage lets you upload a photo or specify the URL of a photo that you want to match to a celebrity. Helpfully, the site also supports Bebo and Photobucket galleries.
There are 4000 celebrities in the database from the last 200 years so don't be surprised to see yourself matched to some unlikely celebrities, as you can see below.
One downside is that you need to register to use the service.
Another use they're putting this technology to is a celebrity look-alike finder. Like AOL's recently launched Find My Celebrity Look-Alike site, MyHeritage lets you upload a photo or specify the URL of a photo that you want to match to a celebrity. Helpfully, the site also supports Bebo and Photobucket galleries.
There are 4000 celebrities in the database from the last 200 years so don't be surprised to see yourself matched to some unlikely celebrities, as you can see below.
One downside is that you need to register to use the service.
Labels: Technology
Joost Has Competition: Babelgum Offers Professional Quality Video Content too
Babelgum, the dark horse candidate in the Internet TV space, is the only serious competition that Joost faces at the moment. Like Joost, Babelgum is based on a downloadable P2P application that provides high resolution video from professional content producers.
Right now, all of the content on Babelgum is swept into nine broad categories, including news, music, lifestyle, sport, and fiction. In other words, there are only nine channels you can watch. This basically kills the idea of channel surfing and makes it seem like the amount of content on Babelgum is very limited (maybe it really is).
One thing this video platform has going for it is a very intuitive user interface, which Joost lacks. To control the application, you use a remote control-like panel that lets you change channels, adjust the volume, zoom in and out, and switch from windowed to full screen mode.
The system requirements for Babelgum are about the same as for Joost. A fast Internet connection is helpful.
At the moment, a limited number of application downloads is being allowed each day during Babelgum's open beta. If you miss the window of opportunity, feel free to ask us for an invite in the comments below. Just leave us your email address in the body of the comment.
Right now, all of the content on Babelgum is swept into nine broad categories, including news, music, lifestyle, sport, and fiction. In other words, there are only nine channels you can watch. This basically kills the idea of channel surfing and makes it seem like the amount of content on Babelgum is very limited (maybe it really is).
One thing this video platform has going for it is a very intuitive user interface, which Joost lacks. To control the application, you use a remote control-like panel that lets you change channels, adjust the volume, zoom in and out, and switch from windowed to full screen mode.
The system requirements for Babelgum are about the same as for Joost. A fast Internet connection is helpful.
At the moment, a limited number of application downloads is being allowed each day during Babelgum's open beta. If you miss the window of opportunity, feel free to ask us for an invite in the comments below. Just leave us your email address in the body of the comment.
Labels: Technology
Create a Video Thumbnail or Screenshot Gallery with Three Clicks
The painful way of creating a screenshot or thumbnail gallery of a video is to press Print Screen every couple seconds or minutes and saving the images one by one.
The easy way is to use Media Player Classic. It has a built-in thumbnail maker that lets you customize the size of the final image and the number of thumbnails to extract from a video.
If you don't have it installed, be sure to download Media Player Classic first.
To get started, open a video in Media Player Classic. Then navigate to File->Save Thumbnails.
You'll bring up a dialog box where you can specify the width of the image and the number of thumbnails in each row and column.
Once you've customized the settings, click Save and sit back for the application to do its magic.
The easy way is to use Media Player Classic. It has a built-in thumbnail maker that lets you customize the size of the final image and the number of thumbnails to extract from a video.
If you don't have it installed, be sure to download Media Player Classic first.
To get started, open a video in Media Player Classic. Then navigate to File->Save Thumbnails.
You'll bring up a dialog box where you can specify the width of the image and the number of thumbnails in each row and column.
Once you've customized the settings, click Save and sit back for the application to do its magic.
Labels: Technology
Download Music from MySpace as MP3s
We reported way back in September about a program called MySpace MP3 Gopher that lets you download music from MySpace even if the download option is disabled. As we predicted, the author has kept the program up to date with the latest version released May 27, 2007.
But there's an even easier way to download music tracks off of MySpace. No software download necessary.
Just use MySpaceMP3.org. Enter the band name of the MySpace profile that you want to download music from. You'll find it in the URL after "myspace.com/".
Then click Get Song, and a list of the available songs will appear.
Click on the pin icon next the track name, and you should see a download link pop up in a few seconds.
However, the site doesn't work perfectly. You might see an error pop up when trying to download music, especially from if it's from one of the more popular bands on MySpace.
But there's an even easier way to download music tracks off of MySpace. No software download necessary.
Just use MySpaceMP3.org. Enter the band name of the MySpace profile that you want to download music from. You'll find it in the URL after "myspace.com/".
Then click Get Song, and a list of the available songs will appear.
Click on the pin icon next the track name, and you should see a download link pop up in a few seconds.
However, the site doesn't work perfectly. You might see an error pop up when trying to download music, especially from if it's from one of the more popular bands on MySpace.
Labels: Technology
Listen to Free Music On Demand at Lala (Legally)
Lala.com is making a bid at supplanting Apple's iTunes store by launching a DRM-free music store with artists from Warner Music Group. This move comes after Apple's recent switch to selling DRM-free tunes from EMI Group.
The online music service is also sweetening the pot by letting users play free tunes online. Just look for the red play button next to each album. That means you'll get to sample all the tunes you want without paying a dime. However, you won't be able to download the music to your iPod without paying for the privilege.
They are estimating that licensing fees to stream this music could run to $160 million over the next two years. Thirty percent of users are expected to fund part of this expense by buying music instead of free-loading. Of course, there are ways to record streaming music that might put a dent in this business model.
Music recommendation services like Pandora and Last.fm are definitely endangered by this move since users will be able to play music on demand through Lala, but they may add enough value with their personalization services to retain users.
The online music service is also sweetening the pot by letting users play free tunes online. Just look for the red play button next to each album. That means you'll get to sample all the tunes you want without paying a dime. However, you won't be able to download the music to your iPod without paying for the privilege.
They are estimating that licensing fees to stream this music could run to $160 million over the next two years. Thirty percent of users are expected to fund part of this expense by buying music instead of free-loading. Of course, there are ways to record streaming music that might put a dent in this business model.
Music recommendation services like Pandora and Last.fm are definitely endangered by this move since users will be able to play music on demand through Lala, but they may add enough value with their personalization services to retain users.
Labels: Technology
Monday, June 04, 2007
Inside Google's Secret Search Algorithms
For many webmasters and bloggers, getting to the top of Google's search results page for a popular search term is like becoming the next American Idol.
Not surprisingly, the algorithms that Google uses to rank websites is kept closely guarded, but Saul Hansell of The New York Times managed to get an inside look at how Google serves up search results.
In case you don't want to read the whole piece, here are the highlights:
- Any Google employee can report search problems to the search quality team using a homegrown "Buganizer" system. This happens about 100 times a day.
- The search results page balances freshness, authority, and diversity of websites in deciding which sites make the cut.
- QDF, for query deserves freshness, is a newly developed algorithm which Google uses to determine whether a user is searching for up-to-the-minute news on a subject or wants older, more authoritative pages. How "hot" a topic is factors into it.
- The number of search queries is one factor used to quantify "hotness" along with how many people are writing about a topic on blogs and other sites.
- 200 pieces of information, or signals, are used to rank pages. The infamous PageRank is just one signal.
- Signals are passed onto classifiers that try to determine what a user is looking for: a product, information about a place, a brand name, etc. If you're familiar with pattern recognition, you'll see some parallels.
- Key measures are calculated by the signals and classifiers to determine the relevancy of a page, which are combined to form a relevancy score.
- It isn't enough to get the highest relevancy score: the 10 sites on the first page of search results must offer a diversity of opinion. For instance, if you search for a product, you might see a blog review of it, the manufacturer's page, and a shopping site where you can purchase it.
Labels: Technology
Put an Easy Contact Form on Your Website or Blog
Contactify started out by letting you replace your email address with a URL to a contact form. This was a little awkward so they have now released a widget that lets you post the contact form directly on your website, blog, or social networking profile.
To sign up, you simply enter your email address and password, and you'll get a Contactify account where you can personalize your contact form settings. The URL is most useful on forums or other public sites where you'd rather not reveal your email address, but the widget makes Contactify an attractive choice for webmasters looking for an easy, plug-and-play contact form.
One downside for Blogger users is that you can't embed the contact form widget into a post because it's in JavaScript. It can only fit into the sidebar or some other area that allows the use of JavaScript. This applies to many other sites as well so you may be better off using contact form solutions such as Wufoo and Icebrrg that don't rely on JavaScript widgets.
To sign up, you simply enter your email address and password, and you'll get a Contactify account where you can personalize your contact form settings. The URL is most useful on forums or other public sites where you'd rather not reveal your email address, but the widget makes Contactify an attractive choice for webmasters looking for an easy, plug-and-play contact form.
One downside for Blogger users is that you can't embed the contact form widget into a post because it's in JavaScript. It can only fit into the sidebar or some other area that allows the use of JavaScript. This applies to many other sites as well so you may be better off using contact form solutions such as Wufoo and Icebrrg that don't rely on JavaScript widgets.
Labels: Technology
The Physics of Line Rider
Normally, thinking critically about a game isn't high on your to do list, especially one like Line Rider, but one university professor couldn't help but analyze the physics of the addictive Flash game.
Where a virtual world like Second Life takes an inconsistent approach to how objects behave, in Line Rider you can pretty much tell how a rider is going to move along a track, which makes it possible to tease out what's going on behind the scenes.
So what are the physics of Line Rider?
Or just play the game.
Where a virtual world like Second Life takes an inconsistent approach to how objects behave, in Line Rider you can pretty much tell how a rider is going to move along a track, which makes it possible to tease out what's going on behind the scenes.
So what are the physics of Line Rider?
- Based on the length of the sled, the line rider is apparently a 5 year old boy (3.7 feet tall).
- There is no air resistance in this world.
- There is no friction on horizontal surfaces, and on inclined surfaces, friction behaves inconsistently.
Or just play the game.
Labels: Technology
Sunday, June 03, 2007
7 Internet Explorer Add-Ons to Supercharge Your Browsing
One of the more significant developments for Internet Explorer 7 was the introduction of add-ons, which lets third-party developers add features that are missing in the original browser. The appropriately named Windows Marketplace is where you'll find these add-ons, which are not all free.Although the selection of add-ons isn't as extensive compared to the number of Firefox extensions, you can still find several (for free) that help make your web browsing faster and more productive. We'll highlight seven of these add-ons for IE7:
1. IE7Pro: This is an extremely feature-rich add-on that includes mouse gestures, crash recovery, tab history, support for Greasemonkey-like scripts, and much more. We could almost end this post right here given how feature-packed this add-on is.
2. GooglePreviewIE: Adds thumbnail images to the search results pages of Google and Yahoo so you can preview websites before clicking through.
3. IECopySelectedLinks: Forget about copying links one by one. This add-on lets you select multiple links at once and copy them to the clipboard. Very handy when you need to do some research.
4. BizForm Bar: Until identity management systems like OpenID start being adopted en masse, filling out registration forms at every website you go to will be a continuing headache. Make life easier by installing an auto form filler that will remember your passwords and personal information for you.
5. ieSpell: One of the most useful features in Firefox 2 is the inline spell-checking feature. Now you can have it in IE7 too. If you're a blogger, this is a must-have.
6. StumbleUpon Toolbar: Join 2 million other users who are channel-surfing the web. Now that eBay has acquired StumbleUpon, you'll be hearing a lot more about it if you haven't already.
7. RSS Feeds Toolbar: Displays the latest feed headlines in a toolbar. Perfect for the feed addict who needs to stay in constant contact with the latest news.
Bonus: FoxyTunes for Internet Explorer: Lets you control media players like iTunes, Winamp, and Windows Media Player from your browser. A must-have for heavy music listeners.
Labels: Technology
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Install a Complete Open Source Software Suite in Five Minutes (Windows, Mac)
When you get a new computer, the first thing you probably do is try to find and install all the software you used to use on your old computer. That usually means a lot of mouse clicks and waiting, but there is, of course, an easier way.
If you happen to be an open-source fanatic running Windows, WinLibre will greatly simplify the task of outfitting your new computer with a comprehensive software suite that covers office productivity, graphics design, security, and the Internet.
The slim 151 MB WinLibre package contains software like OpenOffice, Gimp, Firefox, and VideoLan along with 16 other handy utilities. Almost any commonly used open source software you can think of is already pre-packaged.
If you want to cherry-pick your downloads, there's also a small, 600 KB downloader that lets you customize your installation. This is especially useful if you've already installed some of the software in the complete WinLibre package.
After that, it's just a one-click installation, and you'll be ready to go. The actual amount of time you focus on installing software is probably less than five minutes.
For Mac users, MacLibre is the corresponding package to WinLibre you'll want to download. It contains a similar set of software that works on Macs.
Download Complete WinLibre Package | WinLibre Mini Downloader | MacLibre
If you happen to be an open-source fanatic running Windows, WinLibre will greatly simplify the task of outfitting your new computer with a comprehensive software suite that covers office productivity, graphics design, security, and the Internet.
The slim 151 MB WinLibre package contains software like OpenOffice, Gimp, Firefox, and VideoLan along with 16 other handy utilities. Almost any commonly used open source software you can think of is already pre-packaged.
If you want to cherry-pick your downloads, there's also a small, 600 KB downloader that lets you customize your installation. This is especially useful if you've already installed some of the software in the complete WinLibre package.
After that, it's just a one-click installation, and you'll be ready to go. The actual amount of time you focus on installing software is probably less than five minutes.
For Mac users, MacLibre is the corresponding package to WinLibre you'll want to download. It contains a similar set of software that works on Macs.
Download Complete WinLibre Package | WinLibre Mini Downloader | MacLibre
Labels: Technology
Search for Faces in Google Images; Plus Handy Greasemonkey Script
Google slipped in an unofficial feature to Google Images last week that lets you search for images that contain only faces.
Let's say you want to search for pictures of Paris Hilton, but you're lazy so you only want to type "paris" into the search box.
Normally, you'll get back images of the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, and a map of Paris along with pictures of Paris Hilton. The URL of the search results page is http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=paris.
But if you append "&imgtype=face" to the URL, the results page will only contain faces. This time, Paris Hilton pics dominate.
Remember, though, you're a lazy surfer so you don't want to have to append anything to use the face search feature.
Enter the Google Image Type Recognition Greasemonkey script. All that this perversely named script does is add a drop-down box letting you select the type of search results you want: normal, just faces, or only from news stories. If you don't have Greasemonkey installed, this Greasemonkey installation guide will walk you through the steps.
Let's say you want to search for pictures of Paris Hilton, but you're lazy so you only want to type "paris" into the search box.
Normally, you'll get back images of the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, and a map of Paris along with pictures of Paris Hilton. The URL of the search results page is http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=paris.
But if you append "&imgtype=face" to the URL, the results page will only contain faces. This time, Paris Hilton pics dominate.
Remember, though, you're a lazy surfer so you don't want to have to append anything to use the face search feature.
Enter the Google Image Type Recognition Greasemonkey script. All that this perversely named script does is add a drop-down box letting you select the type of search results you want: normal, just faces, or only from news stories. If you don't have Greasemonkey installed, this Greasemonkey installation guide will walk you through the steps.
Labels: Technology
Friday, June 01, 2007
Schedule Emails for Future Delivery (Outlook, Thunderbird, Webmail)
One key feature most email clients have neglected to include is the ability to schedule emails for delivery at a later time. It's either hit the Send button now or come back later.
However, there are several solutions out there. Some can only be used to schedule email reminders to yourself, but others are more versatile. Let's get started.
Email Client Plugins
First off, I don't use Outlook so I can't really recommend any plugins in particular, but this guide walks you through how to schedule emails. There are also many shareware plugins that make the task a little easier.
As far as Thunderbird extensions that let you schedule emails, there are two:
Send Later: This extension modifies the "Send Later" option in your file menu so you can specify a time and date for your email to be sent. Otherwise, your email will just sit in your Unsent email box forever.
SendTools: This extension adds a "SendAt" checkbox to your compose window. Check the box to set up a time and date for delivery. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on Thunderbird 2.0b2.
The only downside to these two tools is that Thunderbird has to be kept open for the email to be sent, which is not the case if you use a webmail solution.
Web-based Email Scheduling
LetterMeLater: This is a very nicely designed site that lets you schedule both emails to yourself and others. Once you sign up, hit the Compose tab to begin scheduling emails for delivery any time in the future. There's also a recurring email option if you need to schedule regular reminder emails.
Remind Me Again...
The following sites let you schedule email to your future self:
FutureMe: We've covered this future email delivery service before. It adds in an element of PostSecret to email scheduling.
You can schedule email for delivery to the future 90 days and beyond. This is not for short-term reminder emails. The social element to the site lets you make your emails open for public comsumption.
FutureMail: FutureMail is a more flexible email scheduler than FutureMe, letting you schedule emails at any time from now to eternity. The nicely designed site lets you set your time zone so you can make sure your emails get delivered on schedule and also offers an RSS feed of your future emails (if you choose to make them accessible).
However, there are several solutions out there. Some can only be used to schedule email reminders to yourself, but others are more versatile. Let's get started.
Email Client Plugins
First off, I don't use Outlook so I can't really recommend any plugins in particular, but this guide walks you through how to schedule emails. There are also many shareware plugins that make the task a little easier.
As far as Thunderbird extensions that let you schedule emails, there are two:
Send Later: This extension modifies the "Send Later" option in your file menu so you can specify a time and date for your email to be sent. Otherwise, your email will just sit in your Unsent email box forever.
SendTools: This extension adds a "SendAt" checkbox to your compose window. Check the box to set up a time and date for delivery. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on Thunderbird 2.0b2.
The only downside to these two tools is that Thunderbird has to be kept open for the email to be sent, which is not the case if you use a webmail solution.
Web-based Email Scheduling
LetterMeLater: This is a very nicely designed site that lets you schedule both emails to yourself and others. Once you sign up, hit the Compose tab to begin scheduling emails for delivery any time in the future. There's also a recurring email option if you need to schedule regular reminder emails.
Remind Me Again...
The following sites let you schedule email to your future self:
FutureMe: We've covered this future email delivery service before. It adds in an element of PostSecret to email scheduling.
You can schedule email for delivery to the future 90 days and beyond. This is not for short-term reminder emails. The social element to the site lets you make your emails open for public comsumption.
FutureMail: FutureMail is a more flexible email scheduler than FutureMe, letting you schedule emails at any time from now to eternity. The nicely designed site lets you set your time zone so you can make sure your emails get delivered on schedule and also offers an RSS feed of your future emails (if you choose to make them accessible).
Labels: Technology
How to Keep Your Browser History Safe from Spyjax
There's word of a scary new tool called Spyjax that lets any website view your entire browsing history.Here's how it works: after you click on a link in your browser, it changes from blue to purple to mark it as visited. Spyjax can examine the color of these links to find out what sites you've visited.
Using the power of Ajax, Spyjax can check thousands of URLs in mere seconds, all without you knowing anything about it.
The solutions people have come up with so far haven't been too practical: either clear your browser history or disable JavaScript altogether.
However, there's a third way to keep your browser history safe from Spyjax without giving up any browsing convenience: use SafeHistory, which is a Firefox extension that specifically protects against this sort of attack. All you have to do is install it and restart Firefox.
Does anyone know of any solutions for Internet Explorer?
Labels: Technology
Watch TED Talks (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Online For Free
TED is a high-powered conference that takes place every year in Monterey, CA, where speakers like Tony Robbins, Sergey Brin, and Seth Godin take the stage to talk about ideas they are passionate about. The letters stand for Technology, Entertainment, Design.
However, you don't have to pay the $6000 conference fee to find out what they have to say. The TED website has made available over 100 talks and counting for free online viewing.
The talks are streamed via a Flash player and are accompanied by classic video sharing features like embedding, comments, and ratings. You can also download talks for desktop viewing or suitable for playing on your iPod.
However, you don't have to pay the $6000 conference fee to find out what they have to say. The TED website has made available over 100 talks and counting for free online viewing.
The talks are streamed via a Flash player and are accompanied by classic video sharing features like embedding, comments, and ratings. You can also download talks for desktop viewing or suitable for playing on your iPod.
Labels: Technology
Download Free DivX Movie Subtitles
Ever download a movie only to find out that it's in a different language than you expected?
OpenSubtitles probably has the solution with its vast collection of movie subtitles (over 285,000 at current count) in dozens of languages.
Subtitles can be searched by language and downloaded as .srt files. Links to download the actual movie itself via BitTorrent are also listed along with links to trailers, additional information, and ratings.
The key to make sure that the subtitle file plays along with your DivX movie is to match the filenames of the two files. For instance, if you downloaded the open source movie Elephants Dream, which has the filename "elephantsdream.avi", then you need to make sure the subtitle file is named "elephantsdream.srt" for your media player to automatically display the subtitles.
You might also be able to manually load the subtitle file by going to File->Load Subtitle. This works in Media Player Classic, for instance.
OpenSubtitles probably has the solution with its vast collection of movie subtitles (over 285,000 at current count) in dozens of languages.
Subtitles can be searched by language and downloaded as .srt files. Links to download the actual movie itself via BitTorrent are also listed along with links to trailers, additional information, and ratings.
The key to make sure that the subtitle file plays along with your DivX movie is to match the filenames of the two files. For instance, if you downloaded the open source movie Elephants Dream, which has the filename "elephantsdream.avi", then you need to make sure the subtitle file is named "elephantsdream.srt" for your media player to automatically display the subtitles.
You might also be able to manually load the subtitle file by going to File->Load Subtitle. This works in Media Player Classic, for instance.
Labels: Technology
